Drafter
Clerk 01/22/2016
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the composition and duties of the communities of opportunity interim governance group with respect to the communities of opportunity portion of the best starts for kids levy proceeds.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The communities of opportunity ("COO") initiative, launched by the Seattle Foundation and King County in March 2014, is a place-based initiative designed to improve equity in health and well-being outcomes in King County.
2. Since the launch of COO, the initiative has been developed in partnership with community leaders, community residents and coalitions, community-based organizations, and other funders and partners. Seattle Foundation and King County asked many of these partners to be members of the COO interim governance group, and are working with them to support community-identified strategies that will increase social, racial, economic and health equity, so that all people in King County can thrive and prosper.
3. To date, The Seattle Foundation has invested $2,045,000 in the COO initiative and has committed an additional $ 1.5 million to this community partnership initiative and is working with donors to increase this commitment.
4. During formation of the COO initiative, King County was invited to submit an application to Living Cities' Integration Initiative. Living Cities, based in New York and Washington, D.C., is a coalition of twenty-two of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions, and the mission of the Integration Initiative is to build a new urban practice that dramatically improves results for low-income people. COO is one of eight initiatives from across the country chosen to participate in the Integration Initiative, and as such receives technical assistance and funding, and the COO interim governance group has a well-established relationship with Living Cities.
5. COO has proceeded forward through initiative development and the creation of a fra...

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